The sadness that sometimes also runs with us

When we talk about running, we almost always talk about the positives. The rush, the focus, the strength that training gives you, the moment of crossing the finish line.

Rarely do we talk about the other side...

That strange, subtle, sometimes intense sadness that also accompanies this sport we love so much. The one that appears when an injury forces you to stop and your body feels restless, the one that hurts when a training session doesn't go as expected, even though you gave it your all, the one that creeps in when you don't achieve the goal you visualized so much, the one that makes you uncomfortable when you skip a training due to fatigue or daily life chaos, or when you get sick and can't do anything but wait.

And also, however strange it may sound, the one that comes after achieving everything. You trained, you ran, you met your goal... and one or two days later, the adrenaline subsides, the body calms down, and a void appears. A slump that is hard to explain.

We are not talking about mental health in clinical terms.

We are talking about what many of us who run with intensity and dedication feel. Because running, when it's part of your life, forces you to look inward. And sometimes that's uncomfortable.

It confronts you with yourself, your thoughts, your demands, your voids, and also your achievements.

It's normal.

Because when you love something with all your heart, you also become vulnerable to what happens around it.

And that's okay.

Sadness doesn't mean you're doing something wrong. It means this matters to you. That there's something that moves you so deeply inside, that sometimes it hurts a little on the outside.

And no, it doesn't last forever. But when it happens, it's good to recognize it. Name it. Feel it.

Because after all, running is also that:

A way to find yourself with everything you are. Even on your low days.